What’s a church service for?
Written by Aron Strong on May 22, 2008 – 9:17 am -So I’ve had this discussion a couple times in the last couple weeks. What’s a church service for? Your answer will likely vary by the preference of who you’re talking to.
- Those who connect with God most through music will say the service is for worship, hence it being called a “Worship Service.”
- Those who like to discover new things about God will say they come to service to “be fed” and prefer exegetical style teaching with lots of exposition on the original Greek.
- There are some who are wired and/or simply get the idea that we were created for relationships and would say fellowship is of primary importance. The Bible does tell us to make sure we don’t stop meeting together.
- Others are looking for a powerful God experience, stripped down of all the “entertainment” that is common in church with especially larger churches.
So what’s the right answer? Or is there one? It’s hard to tell since Jesus didn’t exactly give church services when he walking around. But he left some clues I think to help us out.
How did Jesus worship God? As a boy he went to the synagogue and was found outside talking and listening to scholars. As an adult, he no longer sat and listened to them, but challenged them and their way of thinking. He lead a growth group with his disciples, but it was more for them than for himself. He preached to big crowds (perhaps we could say Jesus was the first megachurch). He did miracles. He counseled the hurting and lost. It would seem at this point we think the answer was how we went off alone to be with God. And many make the argument they don’t need church and worship by themselves as Jesus did.
Hmm, no easy answer yet. Let’s look at what Jesus expected of his disciples, maybe that will give us a clue.
The first thing Jesus said to these guys was, “Come and follow me.” He gave them an invitation. He walked with them, shared good times and bad with them. He prayed with them, taught them. He sent them on a mission trip. He empowered them to do great things for the Kingdom of God. He was quick to get on them when the did or said something dumb. He was quick to forgive them and restore the relationship. He challenged them beyond what they could have ever imagined. And he loved them completely.
Two different perspectives: Jesus and his disciples. I think there are some big ideas in here that extend even beyond a church service, but that’s a different topic. So for now, what do you think? What is a church service for?
Posted in the church | 4 Comments »
